The Past
by evil-catgirl
Summary: (Idea of marrodlop03) Shira and Diego enjoy alone time and talk of their past.
1. Shira

The silver-gray saber-toothed tiger enjoyed her afternoon relaxing a little on the ledge in front of their cave. She had shared this home with her husband for years. From up here, she liked to watch the neighbors' children play. Soon their own offspring will be romping around the area. Sometimes she could hardly wait for these days. But it will still be a while before the little ones are born.

Before that, she kept wondering how quickly time could pass and now everything was kind of lengthy. Shira sighed and wondered again how quickly things can change for the better. So much has happened in her life that she sometimes thought she didn't deserve peace with her family and friends here.

"We take care of each other." When she heard one of the children call and whether she wanted to or not, she had to think about her past. Actually, she never wanted to indulge in bad memories again, but they were always part of her. When she didn't think about it herself, she sometimes got nightmares from all the cruelty she had to see.

Of course, her instinct was wide awake and announced that someone was sneaking up on her.

"Is everything ok?" Was asked and she wondered if her face reflected her thoughts.

"Hm? Yes." She replied Diego, who must have just returned from an excursion with the other men. She cuddled briefly to greet him as he took a place next to her. It always made her feel a little better. The question came up again whether she should tell her partner about her life at some point. So all the details to explain to him why she sometimes woke up trembling at night, completely scared. When this happened next to her tiger for the first time, she worried about her relationship with him. At that time, she didn't know what would become of the two of them. In addition, Shira did not really see herself as the perfect material to live with for a lifetime.

Of course, she never mentioned this way to him. How could she if he treated her so openly and lovingly. He never held her back. No matter whether it was about male saber-toothed tigers or other challenges. At his side she was and remains a free being. Something she had never known before. And when she did need his help, he was there for her in the first place. It would have been really foolish of her not to fall in love with him. Diego was so patient with her. He said she should really be sure of her feelings. Nobody could take her away from this place or this saber-toothed tiger.

But what if he didn't want her anymore? When he learns about her and then runs away from her? She was often frightened by these questions. But wasn't it unfair that she kept everything to herself? Instead, she sometimes felt the urge to let the whole thing to the surface. In the valley, she couldn't trust anyone other than her best friend. Of course, she now had other animals that were happy to help her and proudly called themselves her friends. She couldn't even imagine ever living like a normal saber-toothed tiger again. Everyone in the herd was dear to her.

Even the head of the herd, who looked a little grouchy now and then. Shira never asked about it, but she thought that he had his background stories too. She often watched the older mammoth walking alone through the area. It was not the case that with all the animals, nobody was allowed to be alone once. Before that she always assumed that Manny did not want this, because with a heavy heart he let his only daughter go from here. Peaches was able to take care of herself very well. There were probably past things that the mammoth could not or did not want to talk about.

Somehow she doesn't want to be like that. What if someone from her past shows up here and tells her saber-toothed tiger everything in an unpleasant way? She probably thought of it a little late because she was already pregnant. Maybe that's why her feelings go a little crazy. Nevertheless, she felt the need to confess everything to her partner. Diego was a very decent guy. Didn't he deserve the whole truth?

Her fur was lovingly licked, which only made her lean more against him. Since her tiger heard from her that he was going to be a father, he has become even more caring. He also worried about her more. Others might consider that annoying, but she enjoyed being loved by him at that moment. Times will change again when the offspring are only born and the proud father has to take care of other things.

If he is only there for the children but can hardly stand your presence because of your cruelty from the past.

Shira started up a little, which surprised him too. She tried to control her fear by getting up and looking away from him, but it didn't seem to work.

"Is everything really okay? If you feel sick or you somehow..." She interrupted his concern by pressing her snout briefly against his.

"Our child is fine. I'll make sure that nothing happens to it." She explained calmly and wanted to go to the cave.

"It is clear to you when I ask if you are well, I mean you too." Diego naturally ran after her.

"Yes, I know." She gave a short answer.

"And? Are you okay?" She had to sigh at that.

"Let's go inside." Shira said and he just nodded, only to disappear with her completely into their cave. To where the daylight couldn't get and nobody could eavesdrop on their conversations.

"Do not worry, Diego. Physically, the child and I are doing perfectly well. Unfortunately, I have been sleeping a little worse lately because my dreams remind me of past events. I do not know whether it is due to my current condition or not , but I have the feeling that I have to tell you about my past." She started quietly, looking more at the ground.

"Are wild pirate stories coming now?" Of course, her partner noticed the tension that suddenly came from her and so he tried in his way to improve the mood.

"I'm serious. It wouldn't be fair of me to start a family with you without knowing at least a bit about my previous life. Others of our kind come here every now and then. What if someday there is someone among them who know me?"

"All I need to know about you is who you are now. After all, I love this saber-toothed tiger sitting in front of me. Nothing from your past will change my image of you." Thereupon she wanted to interrupt him, but he spoke in a hurry.

"But if you feel better about telling me about your past, then of course I'll listen to you carefully." Actually, she wanted to come up with a few reasons why he shouldn't be so careless. But she already knew this saber-toothed tiger very well. So she should just start telling how the story of her life started.

At first she was planning to let out only pleasant things from her childhood, but now that she was trying to remember everything, her snout seemed to have no hold.

Shira grew up well protected in a large pack. At that time she was so naive and believed that it is nice when there are only saber-toothed tigers around her. At every turn, adult saber-toothed tigers were nearby. If it wasn't their parents, then it was other members of the pack. It never bothered her as long as she was allowed to play with her sister and other children. After all, nothing could happen to them if there were always eyes that kept an overview of everything.

Now that she thought about it, the worst fate is not being kidnapped or even killed by humans or other animals. These bipeds attacked their species less often than their father previously claimed and it also turned out that mammoths don't want to trample everyone among themselves. Her parents probably didn't know any better either, because they grew up in the pack themselves, without ever having the thought of escaping this life. Simply exploring the world found these saber-toothed tigers all senseless. Why if the pack life could give you everything you need to exist? There was always enough to eat, dry beds and shelter in this large saber-toothed tiger community. Provided you follow the rules.

It took a long time for her to notice that something was wrong with her home. Summer was beginning to come with its warm nights and of course she wanted to enjoy the time as young adults with her sister. Finally they were all allowed to go hunting alone. They were allowed to show what they had learned from the parents and the other pack members. They were granted to choose a partner. Or in her case, they were chosen. Why didn't she notice anything before? Maybe she didn't want to see anything. Her twin sister always drew everyone's attention and yet, she was the shy one of the two.

The narrator stared thoughtfully at the opposite rock wall for a while. The other in the cave didn't want to interrupt her or disturb her in any way, but he was beginning to feel the need to comfort Shira.

"Are you saying there is a double pack of you?" Diego inquired cautiously and when the sentence came out, he was no longer so sure of himself. Just before he could apologize, she smiled slightly and spoke again to report on the family member who was still very dear to her. Of course, Shira never felt jealous of her sister. She was proud of her and loved her. Unfortunately, male fellows did the same. Or they pretended to do so.

The day that was supposed to change everything started wet. Actually, she thought it would be boring in this weather. Her parents did not want them to leave the pack cave with this pouring from the clouds. Although she could sneak past two saber-toothed tigers when they were asleep, she learned early on that the two guards at the entrance to the large cave were always wide awake. If these two didn't let her out, there was no walk.

The rain finally stopped in the afternoon. So many young saber-toothed tigers of their age decided to go hunting or fishing in the evening. Her sister and she wanted fish and ran to the waterfall. The other was supposed to look for something edible below and she wanted to cool down her paws above the water.

At first she just wanted to satisfy her hunger, but then she thought about her parents and the community. After all, others should also benefit from it. She wanted to bring a bigger fish for the saber-toothed tiger who had the sleeping place next to them. The woman lost her cub and partner on a tour outside. She also came back that morning with some wounds on her body. Since then she hasn't really spoken much. Shira always thought she was very careful, but her mother explained to her that things like this sometimes have to happen. Now there were two mouths less to stuff in winter.

It sounded a little hard-hearted, but it wasn't as if they could fight fate. In nature it happens that animals die, which she learned as a child. What had been forgotten to teach her that saber-toothed tigers rarely give their lives naturally up in this pack.

A scream brought Shira away from the fish and she continued to listen, but the only thing that followed was the murmur of the waterfall. Did other predators or even humans come by here? Did other saber-toothed tigers ignore this spot because of that?

As fast as she could, she ran out of the water and over to the cliff to check on her sister. Panic arose in her because she couldn't see her anywhere. She hurriedly jumped down the rocks and called for her sister. When she finally got down, she also knew why she couldn't see or hear the other from above. Another saber-toothed tiger had pushed her under a ledge near the waterfall, where the noise seemed to be loudest. The guy brutally bit her sister's neck bloody as if it were normal for a mating. But this union was obviously only one-sided and would be over immediately.

It was the first time that everything went mad with her. She saw the picture of how cruelty is done to her sister and in the next moment the male saber tooth is already passed out on the floor. Shira just ran towards him furious and pushed him against the nearest rock. Her sister didn't even look shocked that a pack member did this to her. She just said that she was glad that nothing happened to her.

Then she got a nasty smell. Apparently there was a kind of cave behind the waterfall. She has never noticed this before, but as children, they should never play too close to the waterfall. Otherwise they would drown immediately in the strong current. This is said to have happened to some young animals, so she always stayed away from this place. Her sister warned her not to go inside. What was insulting her nose should actually keep her away, but she wanted to know what caused such a stench.

Not even a few steps further, Shira got the next bad shock of her life. What she smelled were saber-toothed tigers. Dead and rotting members of their kind and their pack. Skeletonized, those who have not been dead long and what happened to such bodies in between.

The other tigress present urged her to go out again. She didn't really notice anything for a while, her sister was probably trying to talk to her, but she didn't understand a thing. The pictures she saw were too cruel. Now she knew where the cub and the male saber tooth next to them at the sleeping places had disappeared to. She couldn't see it exactly in the child, but the adult saber tooth had clear claw wounds. The kind that each of them had in the pack. So the two weren't an accident while hunting. Or whatever they told.

There were other dead bodies there, which she unfortunately recognized by their fur. Supposedly, mother nature quickly took careless saber-toothed tigers. But that had nothing to do with skill. Were these members of the pack attacked as sneakily as her sister? This still showed no reaction to the event and rather asked if she was fine. Shira tried to nod and then wanted to suggest that they go back quickly to tell their parents. She wanted to take a last look at the unconscious attacker because they were a little further away from the waterfall, but the guy was gone.

Panicked, she looked around to see if this saber tooth was trying again to attack the other. Her sister, however, conveyed to her in the normal tone that neither of them had anything to fear anymore. At least not from this creature. It was also revealed to her that her parents, who had always protected both of them, chose this saber tooth themselves.

Shira did not understand that at first and her interlocutor turned her gaze to the water. She did so too because she hoped it would help the other to continue talking. Her sister calmly explained that they were both old enough to mate with males in the pack. She understood that already, but she didn't really believe that her parents would immediately paw her off to the next best. In addition, such a violent guy who deals with tigresses in this way.

Her eyes dropped to the wound her sister now had on the neck. Without saying a word about it, she licked the injury clean. Although she already heard that lovemaking can get rough, she rather thought of rolling together in the dirt or something like that. The male has to feed the female. And her father had enough of bringing food for the three of them. But they had been hunting for themselves for a while.

After a few moments of silence that seemed like an eternity, an impossibility was actually suggested. Her sister said seriously that she couldn't go back home with the mark on her neck, but Shira could. That the other had been trying for a long time to keep her away from this reality and understand when it was all too much at once.

Shira, on the other paw, considered what options they now had. There was no question of leaving her sister here alone in the wild. Still, she wanted to know more about what was happening behind her back in her home. All of these saber-toothed tigers were killed for certain reasons. The neighbor's child, because apparently it is not perfect in the eyes of the pack leader and the father trying to protect it. She asked if the mother was still alive as a punishment. No, she was only in the pack because she is still needed. The other said that a higher saber tooth must have kept an eye on the woman. Of course, they could not just kill anyone, so other pretexts were used. The dead now lie behind the waterfall because it only attracted scavengers and kept other animals away from their home.

They? Who are they now? In her opinion, something had to be done against these members in their cave. But her interlocutor just shook her head. There were only two of them and more have already tried to take the lead. The brave tigers then only ended up in this mass grave. Her sister told her that she wanted to prevent this at all costs. Even if that meant she had to be attacked because she knew she was being watched for a few days. For the first time, the other spoke with so much indifference in her voice that she was surprised. Didn't the tigress feel strong feelings like anger, disappointment and maybe hate next to her? These things were already in her.

Shira was reminded of her dream again, how she thought about leaving the pack before. But she always thought about going out and exploring the world a little bit more every day to find a new home and not to flee.

But they were not given much time to think because they heard other pack members approaching. So they decided to run away. Even if it was difficult. They didn't really know where to go, but her sister suggested that they can now walk to the open sea because she always wanted to see it. Shira was also curious about it, but somehow after a few days a strange feeling crept up in her, that she couldn't let go. The foraging and the way to the water seemed easy to her. Too simple.

Has her sister ever walked this path? That was nonsensical because they needed so much time to do it. She would have noticed if the other had been missing a few nights in the pack cave. Perhaps such confused thoughts came with freedom. Her head was overwhelmed to think and act independently for the first time. Her parents and other pack members did a lot for them. Yes, she tried to cling to this idea and not show any sign to her companion. She tried to ignore the looks in the back while hunting and sleeping. She was her sister and if she wanted to keep watch at night, she would of course glance at her once or twice.

Shira shouldn't find it irritating if the other saber-toothed tiger pretended to stretch her legs and always came back with a strange smell on the fur. In response, she got that the other one wanted to get rid of the fleas, which may have jumped over from a prey. They both ate the same and her sister has never caught bugs in a lifetime. They grew up too cleanly for this and knew plants against it. Rolling around in the dirt was no solution. So could it be that her sister wanted to hide something else? The wound on the back of the neck didn't really help that, although everything healed well.

If she wanted to rule out all bad thoughts, she would have to act. She decided to do this in the night when the salt from the sea was already in the air. So the water was not far away, but her sister always insisted not to travel further in the dark. The other tigress probably got impatient that night, too, because it was not waited as long as Shira decided to go to sleep. So she followed the other carefully, at a certain distance, when she disappeared from her side again.

She thought of hunting or something her companion wanted to do on her own, but then she saw a male saber-toothed tiger with her sister in a clearing. The two seemed to know each other well because they were running towards each other and quickly became intimate. It was incomprehensible to her why the two met and mated in secret. When she made sure that the tigress wanted it this time, she moved away from the scene and fled back to her sleeping place.

At least that's how she planned it, but another saber tooth suddenly blocked her way. This guy seemed very familiar to her because it was the tiger that went against her sister's will and caused this wound on the neck. She stood there frozen as he grinned to her in a dirty way and came closer. He was talking something about a successful performance when he got too close. It made her feel worried for the other, so she pushed him away and ran.

The way to her sister seemed shorter this time because suddenly she was standing there. Shira immediately tried to warn her that the brutal guy was chasing her and should run away. But nothing happened in that direction, because the other tigress just sat in front of her and looked down at her. With features that she had never seen before. Cracked branches behind her announced that this saber tooth was getting closer again. This also continued to tell something about a plan and everything went well that she did not want to understand.

At least until the other tigress cleared everything up here. There was no cruel assault. The wound on the neck should only make it look real. Her parents already chose partners for both of them, but they shouldn't find out yet. The dead behind the waterfall and the rules of their pack were real, but her sister never found this way of life bad. On the contrary, she now almost happily told her that something like this was used more often to make life better.

Suddenly Shira caught up with memories as if they had happened yesterday. And as naive as she was, she had to ask all the inconsistencies. Her best childhood friend didn't mysteriously disappear. It was only pushed down the waterfall at low tide. Another child did not come back from playing outside after allegedly stealing food from them. It probably only wanted to taste antelope once. Later in her youth, she liked to go fishing with a boy, who was then trampled to death by frightened mammoths.

She could hardly breathe because these things shocked her so much. In addition, the guy from before was so close to her that she could feel his disgusting breath on her back. Despite everything, she wanted to swallow and ask if all of this was just out of jealousy, but the other one just laughed. The other two saber-toothed tigers did the same, as if something really funny had been said. Shira heard that she shouldn't think too much of it because her sister had to live the same life as she did all the time. Everyone in their community would have admired their parents just for her, as if there were only ever one daughter. The perfect daughter who got everything she wanted. However, her interlocutor did not want Shira to be happy while she could only live in the shadow of her sister's life.

No, she cried close to tears, because that's not true. Her parents always treated them equally and fairly. This also applied to other saber-toothed tigers in their area with whom they played and later hunted. It didn't seem to matter what she gave out, because it only increased anger and hatred in her sister, which she loved all her life.

When her sister found out that the parents wanted to bring the lover of her together with Shira, she probably couldn't stand it any longer and made this plan. Meanwhile, it also happened that the tiger who took part in the scene at the waterfall really wanted to own her. Going against the choice of a mating in a pack was pointless. That's why this escape to so far outside.

Unfortunately, none of the other three thought of killing her, which was actually what she expected. No, something worse was thought up. The saber tooth behind her should take care of her every night from now on until you see signs of pregnancy. Then they will all run back and wait for the children to be born. They will then see who the young animals come from and her sister's lover would be free again. The whole thing would be a shame for the family, but her sister wouldn't mind. She even gave her the advice, smiling, to show herself willing to do the act and then it wouldn't hurt too much.

Disappointment, sadness, anger and other feelings went through Shira. One thing she knew exactly, she would not take part in this. She didn't want to mate with this guy next to her, nor did she want to give birth to children. For what sense that the little ones are later mocked, harassed and if not even killed. She couldn't allow that.

In a quick movement she bit the saber tooth next to her in the leg, which jumped away in terror. She took the chance and ran. Although she did not even know where and heard that she was being followed. But she just had to escape the others. Running back and telling her parents everything, she would never make it alone. There were three of them in pursuit of their energy. When fatigue comes, one of the other saber-toothed tigers will catch her. That also applied to their current route in the other direction.

The way to the sea should not be far anymore and gradually the day was beginning to appear, because the sun was already coloring the horizon. Her heart ached because she couldn't say goodbye to her parents. Life in this large community cave must have been like this for a long time, so it was difficult for her to blame her father and mother for ensuring that her childhood was like this. Had she never noticed or didn't want to notice? The question will come up in her more often.

And then Shira saw that sea. The rising sun glittered beautifully in the water and she wished she could enjoy the sight. But she was still being hunted by her own sister. This demanded that she should not make it more difficult, but she did not listen carefully to what the words were.

How long had she been running, because when she started, it was even darker? Unimportant, because she was slowly reaching her limit. A rush in the ears that wasn't the waves of the ocean. That sting in the legs because her limbs finally asked her to take a break. The distance between her and the others widened, but maybe that was a trick. If she slows down, they could catch up quickly. How fast she left the forest behind, because the terrain seemed increasingly bare now.

Shira realized far too late that she was not running to a beach, but a cliff. Just then she managed to stop in front of the abyss. Panting and gasping, she looked down. Waves from the sea whipped against the pointed rocks that jutted out of the water below. Her pursuers also came up panting behind her and complimented her even to have good stamina. As if everything was just an exercise or a game. But now they would all have wasted enough time because they had to return home at some point.

The eyes of the three saber-toothed tigers were almost enough to make her feel good jumping into the air and over the cliff. Especially her sister's eyes looked so shocked when she was still screaming her name. Certainly she would never have expected this turn in the plan. As she fell, the thought occurred to her that the other tigress was getting what she asked for. All the attention of their parents and the man she wanted. Somehow, Shira could die well with these thoughts, even if she wanted to experience so much before.

The fall down seemed so long, but unfortunately too short to avert her death. And then she plunged into the cold water, which would be almost good for her limbs if she hadn't hit the surface so hard. Everything around her became so quiet. Then no quick end by hitting the rocks. Fate probably wanted her to drown, but water corpses were not beautiful. Another trick to keep them all away from the waterfall as children. She thought it was stupid now, because appearance was her last concern when she died.

She should gasp slowly, but she was tired and surely sank like a stone. She was still trying to see something with the eyes, but there was hardly any difference between light and shadow. It felt like a dark spot was coming and growing, but that was just imagination. Her body just started to give up, even though her head was urging her to finally draw oxygen into the lungs. Ignoring that was not easy.

Suddenly somthing grabbed her something and swam to the surface. Did her sister come to save her? Hardly, because as far as she was aware, no saber tooth can dive very deep. While realizing that it was better to breathe, she also realized that this being next to her doesn't seem to be like her. Thinking and opening the eyes properly seemed just so difficult.

Before she could even think about her rescue, however, something was put around her body and she was jerked out of the water and then landed on ice. There was a babble of voices. Everything was so messed up and suddenly she felt like she was going to throw up. Her forelegs lifted as if by themselves and she coughed up water. Unfortunately, not only that came out of her. She also choked up a little digested food. After that she felt a little better and tried to take a normal breath again. The environment also became clearer and a giant monkey suddenly faced her.

"So he really saved you?" Diego knew that the question was actually superfluous.

"Yes, unfortunately. He kindly gave me the choice. His ship or back to the beach. I don't know where from, but Gutt must have known somehow what was waiting for me there in the country. Maybe he saw the others on the cliff. Maybe he even watched me jump. It was probably his only good trait that he didn't care where his crew came from. It was only important to him that we all stay with him. That meant if we were still useful enough." The saber-toothed tiger was certain that she did not have to explain how many animals died out there on the ocean just because the captain had found something wrong with this crew member. Not all of them were lucky enough to just drown in the water.

"You have to know that I, as a pirate, made decisions that I'm not proud of. For a while, it wasn't even about saving myself from drowning or... other things. Strangely enough, I wanted to get his approval." Shira couldn't even look at the other animal next to her.

"Even if it wasn't the kind-hearted family you always crave, it was better than being alone." Her saber-toothed tiger took the words out of her mouth that she didn't dare to utter. Then she had to look at him, but Diego's eyes were on the exit. Before she could ask what he was thinking about, he suddenly smiled and turned his head back to her.

"Do you know what's strange?" Her husband grinned and asked her, whereupon she could only shake her head unsuspectingly.

"I still love you." He replies and Shira couldn't help but smile and kiss him gratefully.

So many years had passed and yet nothing changed in her. Many questions will simply remain open. Maybe it is better that way.


	2. Diego

How could she believe that anything could scare me off, the male saber tooth thought, looking down at Shira thoughtfully for a while. At first he intended to reveal his story immediately, but he noticed that she was getting a little tired. So he suggested that they both rest a little. His tigress yawned. She had been pregnant for a while and yet, he had to remind her of eating and sleeping. She always said, she knew that she had to do everything for two, but the second being wasn't a full-grown saber tooth. Diego was somehow aware that he sometimes overdid it a little bit, but he couldn't help it.

The evening when she announced the joyful news to him, he had to control himself not to pass out. Yes, they talked about having their own children here and there. But as more and more time came into the country, Diego was already thinking that both of them should think about adopting. He always joked with Sid about how old their mammoth buddy is, but neither of them were the youngest either. Thus the saber tooth thought that he would no longer be able to produce. Of course, he could have lived well without offspring. After all, he was lucky to have found someone who accepted this lifestyle and his friends. It never seemed like a possibility before. But he didn't want to give up life alongside Manny and Sid, just to find a partner. Now he didn't have to do this anymore, because Shira was more than he had ever dreamed of.

"Did you sleep at all or did you just say it, so you could watch me doing it?" Diego suddenly heard exactly this talking.

"You know that I always have to make excuses to cuddle up to you." He replied jokingly and underlined his sentence by doing just that. But it wasn't long before the saber tooth got serious again and looked at the wall of the cave with mixed feelings. It is always said that one should let the past go, but on some nights it did not let him go. Still, he was glad that his memories only haunted him in his sleep. After all, he didn't really know what was happening to the rest of his pack. Shortly after Diego moved on with the other two, the thought that the other members would chase him and strike at the right moment to avenge Soto crept up on him. But nothing of the sort happened and today he hoped that they had found a better life than what they had all been through before. It only happened slowly, but their pack leader from that time was eaten up by hatred and for this reason, he would have been able to do anything.

But Shira started from the beginning to tell her story, so he should do that too. The male saber tooth didn't really know where to begin his life story.

"Life story? It sounds as old as if I wanted to pass on a fairy tale to my grandchildren, but we don't even have them yet." His wife started to giggle.

"What?" He wanted to know, irritated, because he was serious.

"Oh yes, grandfather Diego, tell us a story!" She asked in a childish voice.

"Ha ha, very funny." He sighed with a slight smile because he knew his tigress just wanted to tease him. It was an eternal game between them.

"You started it." She just said and realized that it was no time to joke. After all, she really wants to hear his story.

Diego, who was a little embarrassed because she was looking at him so eagerly, so he looked around the cave again. What was the first memory he got as a saber-tooth cub?

The smell of his mother and mountain air was one of the first things that ever blew around his nose. At least that was what his mind told him. Maybe there were other smells too. Like his father or his three brothers and sister. They lived very high up in a mountain where one might think today that one would have to freeze up there, but he never felt cold. Not even in winter did it happen that one of them shivered. Life was actually quite nice. Yes, for a long time he only had his siblings to play and fight, but who cares if nothing else is missing.

His childhood passed away too quickly and at that time he was always in a hurry to grow up to go hunting with his older sister or brother. Or to be able to stay outside the cave at all without having the parents' eyes in the back. So he always ate everything his mother offered him and it always seemed to put a small smile on her face. In general, he sometimes felt that she was spoiling him more than his brothers of the same age. When he asked her about it, she always said that it was nonsense. Nevertheless, she always cleaned him particularly thoroughly as a boy, and he could still remember that she only stopped doing it with him many days later, even though he had been able to do this alone for a long time. Sometimes he was embarrassed in front of his siblings to be treated like a baby all the time. So he always crawled next to his father when grooming was on the agenda. The latter left him alone and also instructed his mother to do so. And that happened more often with other things, until she had to realize that he was growing into a handsome saber-toothed tiger, which could take care of himself.

Unfortunately, his mother didn't see much of him as a young adult. Even if he and his siblings didn't want to see it, their parents aged just like them. One day on a bright summer day, her mother wasn't feeling well all day. She only said she needed a little more sleep today. So his brothers and he decided to catch a good dinner for her. They even split up and bet who would catch the thickest prey. His two siblings of the same age against him and his big brother. Then he cheerfully thought that he couldn't lose and unsuspectingly they ran off.

They all came back with decent food, but he didn't care anymore when his mother lay dead in their cave. She supposedly fell asleep peacefully. Stupid as he was back then, he ran furiously away from the others because he just didn't think it was fair that nobody told him that she felt so bad. His older sister found him in the middle of the night. When she revealed that she knew her mother was getting weaker, he yelled at her that they were all still treating him like a child. That must have gone on so long that she hit me with her paw. It didn't hurt, but he finally stopped whining, what she was trying to achieve. His sister then calmly explained to him that their mother did not want to see only worried and sad faces on her last day. That is why it was not told to his younger brothers and him. In retrospect, he was too young to see the signs of a dying animal. Today Diego saw everything much more clearly.

Then his family decided to move because firstly, his older brother wanted to be closer to female saber-toothed tigers. The poor guy always had to run down the mountain and cross the valley to find the next tigress. He thought it was stupid at the time. But the second reason his sister gave made more sense. Her father didn't get younger either, with each passing day. When looking for a new place to stay, he suggested that his older siblings could finally go their own way if they wanted to. After all, they were old enough to mate and they didn't have to hold back because of an old man and young saber-toothed tigers.

Maybe this move wasn't a good idea after all, Diego thought one evening when he woke up again from the older siblings' quarrel. Even if they tried to keep quiet. When their father went hunting, the two of them did so often because his sister wanted everyone to stay around here to be there for the family. His brother probably had other things on his mind. He secretly listened to him claim that there would soon be nothing to hunt here and that they were all forced to move on. His sister was probably doing everything she could to keep this family member. But they couldn't do it forever and so came the day when only five of them woke up early. He still suggested that he could go looking for him, but they told him there was no point. His father took it easy because it was natural for him to reject the parents at a certain age and to go out into the world to start his own family. He was supposed to be more surprised that it hadn't happened earlier, because his brother had supposedly been keeping an eye on a lady on the river for a long time. He didn't like walking near the water.

"Were you afraid of drowning too?" Shira wanted to know, because she knew the feeling. Even if you live on the mainland for years, it never really disappears.

"I didn't see this problem at that age. There was something much worse." The male saber-toothed tiger took a short break and laughed softly, at his own stupid behavior back then.

"There were girls on the river. Eww." He continued grinning and the silver-gray tigress got also infected a little by it.

"You pitiable creature." She said before he continued. Actually, he didn't think female saber-toothed tigers were gross at his age, but since his brother supposedly ran away with a tigress, he became afraid that it didn't take place this way. That his brother was abducted much more and that this could happen to him too. That is why he never looked for food by the river when female tigers around his age were there. For a while he completely stayed away from the female sex when his sister once said that a big difference in age was no reason not to live with someone. When you're in love, you didn't see any mistakes. At that time, he didn't really know whether she was just saying that or whether she was meeting an older man.

However, it wasn't long before Diego noticed that the prey in this area was really getting fewer. Not every one of them found something to eat every day or night, and they went out of their way to do so. Of course, when someone shared something, they shared it fairly, but sometimes it just wasn't enough. His remaining brothers didn't have to notice it, but their father and sister left more and more for them. This went on until they couldn't catch anything every few days and had to settle for measly fish. The things never seemed so small to him before. Perhaps these animals also did not find enough food in the water and therefore did not get bigger.

In any case, they all decided to move on, because they didn't want to starve here either. The night before her trip, their father talked a lot about their wishes and dreams to all of them. The older saber tooth spoke again of their mother and how much he missed her. Now that Diego seemed older and a little wiser, he realized that their father would not be able to do a long hike. The man didn't look like he wanted to move out into the world and explore new things. If his siblings suspected the same thing, they still said nothing when they all later went to bed together. When the sun rose, the elevated rock on which his father always slept was empty. The older man probably only pretended to lie down, but went somewhere else entirely. One of his brothers suggested that they go looking for him because something might have happened. But in the face of his sister he saw that this would probably be unsuccessful. Nevertheless, they all ran away, just so as not to let their emotions run wild. He did not run far and he also knew where his father fled to in the night to give his tired body the long-awaited and also endless sleep. He hoped the climb to their old cave was not too difficult.

A little later, his big sister came running back. Even though he had grown to the same height. She would always be the big sister. She used the time to try to catch something in the area again. Only this time she put on something their parents would never have hunted. A human. It was a little bit of a shock, because the species always appeared in packs and he does not want these hunters to find their place to sleep.

For a while she didn't explain her catch, but ate her fill of the meat. You could see that she had been holding back quite a bit lately and could finally eat so much to fill her up. He used to often approach her prey with his brothers of the same age when she came home. However, now they were all grown up and there were other rules. Anyway, he got a queasy feeling about approaching her.

When she was finished and finally turned to him, the older tiger actually started to laugh. She said it was a liberating feeling to finally be able to do what you want. Diego couldn't really understand that because their parents didn't hold her back. His sister said that they actually only lived so far up in the mountains because their parents were afraid of people. Fear of being pierced by weapons and burned by fire. But since they lived further down, she learned that these concerns about the two-legged hunters were unfounded. They supposedly couldn't do anything if they started empty-handed. No sharp teeth or claws. Nor did they seem to be particularly strong.

He looked thoughtfully over the mangled carcass. Allegedly, this prey was alone in the forest and he wondered if the human was also on a hike to find its end. That was then found, just not as desired. Anyway, he wouldn't want to die like that. So far, he has always avoided this breed because his father did not want their fur to be worn. However, when his counterpart explained that this species may be partly responsible for the fact that there was hardly anything left to hunt, he only found it fair if it was also killed. Supposedly, people would hunt or set traps far too much than they could devour in a day. His sister knew quite a bit about these two-legged ones for having killed the first one today. A bit too much.

She distracted by telling him why their mother always treated him preferentially. He didn't really want to talk about it, but then she revealed that he was born far too weak and it was believed that he would not survive the night. Their mother, however, did not want to give him up because she supposedly knew that he would survive. But she could have been happy that she still gave birth to two strong boys. Nevertheless, her mother was right.

His sister also told him ashamed that she hated him at the time. She found it totally unfair that the mother, who looked after her so lovingly, suddenly only had eyes for him and his brothers of the same age. In her eyes, mostly for him. As she got older, she could understand that more, and even though Diego often bit her ears, she never wanted anything to happen to him. Then the previous topic fell away in him, because many things that he experienced as a child suddenly made more sense.

When his other brothers returned later in the day, he had to gather to remember why they had started this morning because his sister was also talking about what she was going to do in her life. Diego found that if there was one, she didn't have to hide a partner because she started to smell different. But if she didn't want to share this with them, he couldn't force her.

Even if he didn't want to do it himself, he had to accept the suggestion that they all part from each other for a while. After all, they were all at the age of starting their own families and nobody here had to hold back from doing what everyone thought was right. They found that they all saw something different for the future. One wanted to follow his older brother, wherever he went. The next one finally wanted to go to the big water to catch bigger fish. The big sister spoke of what she was planning now, but she did not name her exact goal.

Diego, on the other paw, did not have anything specific in mind and said that they could all meet in the area again next spring. Everyone agreed and so they said goodbye to each other. Of course, he also ran, but only so as not to look lonely when he was left alone in the place. He had to go one way or the other, because food was really scarce in this place and no one was now hunting for him.

So he wandered through the country for days to find a nice place to stay. He only caught prey as much as he really needed. He quickly noticed that moving around had some drawbacks because he couldn't just run to the next cave when it was snowing or raining. Most of the time, the scent of bears or bad wolf has always risen in his nose. He could ask if he could get a place for the night, but he didn't trust other animals. He didn't feel like for long discussions or even violent arguments. So he had to give up sleeping properly for a while, but he told himself that his siblings had similar problems and still didn't give up.

'You were the weakest.' That he was born like this, he couldn't help it. But he could finally prove himself in life, because he was in the prime of everything. The energy to kill the big boar in front of him, even though he couldn't eat all of that, was taken away with the thought that his parents were no longer there. Still, they were the only ones he wanted to make proud. Games like sibling rivalry were no longer appropriate. Was he only good when someone told him what to do? Now he could fool around day and night when he felt like it and yet he didn't. Somehow he was almost bored without his siblings. He was probably a pack animal and not a loner.

But then his attention was drawn to another saber-toothed tiger, which shot out of the bushes across the way at lightning speed and killed the pig, without this being able to defend itself or run away. Diego would be lying if he said that didn't impress him. He himself would have rushed the animal until it got tired. But the other big cat, as it turned out to be a tigress, spared this sprint and simply tore the game's throat so that its blood only splashed onto the ground. The prey twitched a little more, but the hunter didn't seem to care, because she suddenly looked exactly in his direction with sharp eyes. He, who was still sitting in the undergrowth, swallowed and thought it was probably better to go, because after all there was no reason for him to hang around stupidly. Carnivores could become very aggressive when it came to their territory and the food in it. Diego really wanted to avoid trouble when it didn't have to be.

But he didn't get far when the saber-toothed tigress jumped in his way. Without wanting to, he swallowed again and yet, his eyes wiped off exactly when she examined him. The stranger looked amazingly good in this sunny clearing. Either that made his heart beat faster, or the fear that she would let him die like the wild boar.

I've been watching you for a while, she suddenly started talking, smiling with beautiful sharp teeth. Her eyes seemed to continue trying to penetrate him to find any weakness. At least that was how Diego felt, and yet, although he might be in danger, some part of him thought it was nice.

"Should I skip that part?" The male saber interrupted his story, because he was unsure whether Shira wanted to find out about that where a stupid boy first raved about someone.

"Do you think there weren't others before you?" Asked the silver-gray tigress a question too and raised her head to look at him.

"That's not it. My first time ..."

"Oh, now the story is going to be exciting. Don't leave out any detail." Shira grinned at him jokingly and he was a little embarrassed about it. She licked his cheek briefly so that he could look more in her direction again.

"I know that you had a life before me, my softy." With that she leaned against him to continue listening to his story. The speaker sighed and smiled a little too, behaving over her. Of course, his wife was understanding, as always. Conversely, it would not be the case if she reported on past lovers. He was ashamed of it, but sometimes he could quickly become jealous. He never showed it that way, or at least tried. Still, he couldn't stop these feelings. Probably because he was too afraid that Shira would be taken away at some point. The very thought was unbearable.

"You don't have to tell if you don't want to. We can break up here for today and go for a little walk." Suggested his tigress and he thought about it for a moment and then said no.

When you fall in love for the first time, or when you are drawn to someone who is not part of the family, some things are different. Diego used to admire his older siblings and later his older sister without knowing that she was still replacing their mother for a while. Perhaps she only did it because of his father, although he believed that he would not have resented anyone if everyone had started their own life much earlier.

Now Diego stood there for a while in the clearing and blood dripped down the face of his opponent. Apparently his silence didn't please this strange tigress, because she just kept talking as she saw him in the area a few days ago. The thought came back to him that she probably wanted to confront him because he was roaming into her area without being asked. So an apology came out of him and he sounded not really smart. However, she quickly clarified that he would not be chased away here. On the contrary, the woman even asked him about the animal that had been killed before that was still untouched and not far from them. Because he didn't want to show himself rude, he accepted with thanks and ate with her.

When they enjoyed the meat, there was peace again between them. Until then, the stranger spoke most of it anyway, because he was still unsure about this. She explained that she could understand his distrust, because she had once been young. Without thinking about it, he pointed out that she didn't seem so old to him. On the contrary, he found her attractive. She smiled at his compliment, certainly because she thought he was only polite. Still, she invited him to stay with her at least one night to see how it went tomorrow. Such a young guy shouldn't waste his energy senselessly.

In the words of staying with her, his hormone-plagued head probably imagined other things, because she meant spending time with her pack and not sleeping with her. Even though he met a lot of saber-toothed tigers that night, including her mate named Soto, he still thought that somehow he had a chance with her.

A day went into years because this lady really turned his head. But not in a good way, as with his beloved Shira. No, while he was thinking of the crazy idea that she wanted a younger lover because her partner was rumored to be unable to give her children, she only took advantage of him to do everything for her. It was so embarrassing to tell this part, because he only noticed what a lousy woman was behind the beautiful fur, there already stuck blood on his paws. If only he had listened to his comrades and stayed by hunting, not so many of his kind would have had to die for nothing. But reality had to hit him in the face that way. But wasn't everyone responsible for their own fate? Nobody should have followed her blindly, and yet he did.

Suddenly it was over and gone, actually nobody was enough for her. They all in the pack really did everything to please their leader. But they managed to do that less and less over time. Even if there was little to eat in winter, she still wanted the most of it, and she didn't even eat everything. Even if they had managed to catch any prey in the area, he did not think it would have satisfied her greed. This saber-toothed tigress sneaked away with everything. She grabbed his patience, his nerves, and his mind. She couldn't hurt him too much physically, but Diego just couldn't leave the group because he was emotionally too deep in it.

When he finally realized that morning that this woman was actually more of a curse than a blessing, the sun rose to show him his cruelty even better. The wind was icier than ever before that day. It seemed like an eternity that he looked down at the abyss where a companion lay lifeless in the shallow water because he pushed him down out of false loyalty. Murder. He murdered for a tigress who could neither give him nor anyone else genuine love. Neither Soto nor the poor soul down there understood that they were only a means to an end. In the beginning this almost trustworthy submission of their male leader came in handy, because he would not notice who their queen was having fun with.

Now with all the clarity, he felt dirty that he was allowed to own her body for a few moments. In the end it was his own decision, because she didn't force him to mate. But she served that up to Diego when he caught her with someone else who wasn't her official partner. She said that she was blackmailed and that she had to offer her body, otherwise Soto would know everything. Jealous, stupid and without knowing the side of the story from the colleague who was now dead in the river, he decided to do something. The saber tooth, with which he had often been assigned to hunt, he had sneakily lured into a trap. Without even thinking about it, he pushed the unsuspecting man down the rock, where he immediately broke his neck, because he saw no further movements in the twilight.

What had happened to him? He unnecessarily killed relatives of his race and his own pack. His family would be disappointed with him. When he wanted to visit his siblings, he was only told that he now belonged to this family and he found it good to hear then, because no one has ever looked for him in all these years. Perhaps this took place and one of his brothers actually came here, but she liked to keep strangers away who disobey her.

He breathed in the fresh air that blew around his nose. Diego was brought up differently by his parents and that's why some things would change in his life. It was probably too late to try to find his siblings and he couldn't help the guy down there anymore, but he would do everything in his power to keep his pack from losing control. As a member, you could not only trust the head blindly, you also had to think along.

The dear lady greeted him very kindly that day, and he did not even mention his deed. Maybe she was watching the whole thing? She delightedly offered him a reward, but he coolly refused, because suddenly it didn't feel so wonderful when she snuggled up to him. She explained understandingly that it would be easier for him next time. But he was not a child who killed his first prey, but an adult saber tooth who murdered another in cold blood. Yes, there were rivalries in their ranks due to territories, feed and females. But he found it crazy that they only wipe each other out because of one woman.

He tried to talk to Soto about it, even if he had to put up with being torn to pieces because their leader had strong front paws. However, the latter assured him that nothing would happen to him because he was one of the best hunters. The older big cat knew that his mate liked to hang around with other males. He knew this before Diego got into the pack, because almost every man who liked this tigress could not escape her spell. He also confessed to killing a saber-toothed brother and was not punished for it. The strong leader of their pack, whom he had paid fear and respect from the beginning, now seemed very weak to him, because he also buckled in front of this one woman and did everything for her. Hunted the most impossible animals, even humans, if there were any nearby, and allowed her to sleep with other men in gratitude. When love looked like this, he no longer wanted to know that feeling.

"Should we take a break?" Shira's voice now sounded so loud to him, but she whispered more because she was so close. Then he realized why she said that because he was actually trembling.

"How can something that was so long ago ... " Even worse, he sounded broken, so he just stopped in the middle of the sentence.

"Have you ever told anyone that before?" The question came from her when he was given a moment to calm down.

"Of course. It's also a great bonfire story. It's not like my buddies are not used to that I kill my own kind." Diego was annoyed that after all these years he still felt something for this cruel woman. It was not a good feeling. But he always assumed that everything from that time did not matter to him. Now that he was carrying everything to the surface, he had to recognize the bitter truth.

"I am sorry. I didn't want to be … that way." He apologized and wanted to get up, but his better half didn't allow it.

"Diego you are free to go out now, but I thought we're already over the point where we run away from each other when uncomfortable feelings come up." Then she let go and he got up anyway, but only for a short time to stretch.

"Sometimes it is really hard to have such a clever and understanding lady at your side." The saber tooth gave her a teasing smile again after he briefly collected himself.

"You have to ascribe that to yourself." She said, but looked at him carefully. The man in the cave thought for a moment, but it was surely better to really let everything out now if he already started with such things.

On that day, when he confessed all of it to their male leader, he made the decision to only be there for him and the pack. Although the otherwise revered saber-toothed tigress went against the grain, she had to put up with it, because even though he seemed to be subordinate to her blind man, he was a great asset to the group. He only really noticed that when he was able to think clearly again and because Soto and the others often praised his hunting and defense skills.

He was also irritated by another thing that had never really bothered him before. The pack had no offspring. They always got male or rarely female influx from the outside, but none of their females ever had cubs. Not even in all the years he has been here. For the fact that her oh so great queen claimed she only mated with other men because hers was unable to conceive, she still had no children this way. Did she perhaps ban the other women that no one except her may mate with the males of the pack? He would trust her to do so, but not that everyone adheres to this rule.

He did not get the time to reveal the secret, because one evening the head came back more than annoyed from a raid with two other hunters. Actually there were four of them, supposedly humans would have killed and butchered a member of them for no reason. The story would drag him down and make him angry with these bipeds too if it weren't made up. A pack of these naked beings settled not far from them between two huge rocks. Protected from the wind, this breed only went hunting to survive. Yes, they also wore the fur of some animals on their skin. Mother Nature didn't give them that much and everyone had to help themselves somehow. He sometimes observes some of them because he wanted to see for himself. Not exactly the kind you should call aggressive and bloodthirsty. They had to defend themselves with sticks and stones because they do not appear to have claws or sharp teeth. In addition, they actually stayed away from saber-toothed tigers. So every time one of them brought a human here, he knew that it was being ambushed. But so did almost every prey they caught. Nevertheless, he did not find the taste particularly good and the two-legged ones did not offer a real challenge in running away.

Only then did he think of who was missing, namely your highness's new favorite toy. A young tigress who was just as blind as he was back then. Probably only with more zeal to fulfill the leader's wishes. Definitely the four separated while hunting and the new one was supposed to grab a human for the first time. Something must have gone wrong that they caught the young thing.

It didn't even last all night when this woman managed to infect almost everyone with her lust for revenge. A few individuals and Diego barely managed to convince Soto not to storm this people's camp immediately, because it would be suicide. Something must have happened to their female commander at that moment, because the look he got in the end was anything but nice. That was scary, but in his eyes, nobody else should lose his life just so that the fine lady got her will. But no matter how he appealed to her, for this tigress he was just air when he stopped executing her orders.

And so the tragedy began and she attacked the humans when Soto, he and three others, were assigned to hunt in the opposite direction. This greedy woman wanted to eat a mammoth again and she knew it would take a while for that. They came back from the raid successfully, but the food didn't matter when their hunting party was greeted by heavy smoke and the smell of blood from wounded saber-toothed tigers at home. As if the wind wanted to convey this to them, because it was just turning, they suspected what could have happened. They didn't waste time looking to see what had happened, but any help came too late. The place of the bipeds resembled a battlefield and there were no survivors on either side. Her otherwise so clever queen finally took her paws too full and therefore came to an end. She always deserved an abrasion, but fate demanded a higher price. Diego was certain that the image of how they found the head tigress will haunt him for a while in his nightmares.

But life went on, even if their pack consisted of only five members, they had to go on somehow. At least that's how Diego thought it was. But when Soto was able to find surviving humans, from the village that had his beloved mate on their conscience, this also swore revenge. Not everyone, though, whether there was anything real about it. As their leader became increasingly bitter every day, he hardly allowed any discussion. He just hoped it wouldn't last long and how hard can it be, to kidnap a baby the older saber tooth wanted first to wipe out the rest of this tribe. Perhaps fate meant well with him that he should never know how many humans the head of their pack really wanted to kill. Either way, it wouldn't have brought the dead back to life.

At the time, Diego simply hoped that this task would finally end it. Even if he regretted the death of the others, he did not feel the urge for revenge. He was a little ashamed of it. Nevertheless, the others tried to fulfill Soto's wish and ran after the little creature. More after the mother, what he assumed because she was holding the bundle in fear to her chest all the time. She must have been too far away from the others when gathering berries, where they saw their chance and drove her to the river. Although she was caught on the leg by Oscar, the creature managed to jump into the traveling water. From then on, only Diego pursued her because Oskar and Lenny thought it was senseless. Zeke didn't like staying by the deep water anyway because he was afraid of drowning. But since the stuff rarely sloshed by itself out and hungered for animals, it was no problem for most of their kind to run along the edge or even fish in shallow water.

What he didn't see coming was a mammoth and a sloth snapping the price for his leader away in front of him. In addition, the two were more or less convinced to bring the little human back to its herd. Forcing himself to go with a stubborn pachyderm and a stinking madman was probably his worst and best decision he'd ever made.

"Do you think I chose against my pack was the only thing that ever happened with them? No, there followed adventure after adventure and yet I finally came back ..." Diego didn't really know how to describe it.

"The feeling of belonging." His tigress finished his sentence for him and he nodded.

"It is always said that everyone is born into a family. Perhaps the beginning of our lives was not the worst, but we both decided that the further course had to change for the better in order to suit us again. And now we are here. I don't think the end is that bad." The saber-toothed tiger thought that she seemed cheerful again with these words, but he didn't like one thing.

"Hey, I haven't told my life story at my deathbed. Which end? We are just at the middle of our lives." She smiled, stretched and stood up.

"You're right." Shira looked outside at it. It was getting dark around their cave.

"Will Grandpa Diego be able to catch me up to me until the beach?" The tigress grinned at him defiantly and just ran out. Of course, he jumped right behind her.

"In your condition you should .."

"If you want to teach me, you have to get me." She actually stuck her tongue out and ran on laughing.

"Well, wait until I get to you." Diego tried to play upset, but somehow he didn't make it today. She always knew how to cheer him up again and maybe he had fallen in love with her because of that too.

So many years had passed. Many questions will simply remain open. Maybe for the better because they were both happy like this.


End file.
